1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers, a system using such containers, and a method of making such containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to drawers made of mesh material.
2. Description of Related Art
Forming containers out of sheet metal is well known. U.S. Pat. No. 903,848 to Donnelly and U.S. Pat. No. 1,107,014 to Avery disclose such containers. In order to make these containers, a single blank of flat material is cut out and folded with overlapping sections. Sheet metal does not provide desirable characteristics such as drainage and ventilation.
In an effort to make a well-ventilated container, U.S. Pat. No. 645,344 to White discloses a container formed of perforated sheet metal, wire-netting or another open-work material. The White container is intended to have a folded state and a flat state. This container is designed to be readily knocked down from its folded state to its flat state and to be easily constructed without tools.
Other patents attempt to make lightweight, drainable and/or ventilated containers. U.S. Pat. No. 1,994,553 to Wolcott discloses one such container of finely woven wire screening. U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,481 to Glenny discloses another such container of finely woven wire screening. In order to make the White, Wolcott and Glenny containers, a single blank of flat woven wire is cut out and folded with overlapping sections.
Another wire container that is commercially available under the brand name Elfa(copyright) is formed of a wire grid with a plurality of separately formed wires welded together. The Elfa(copyright) container includes a basket portion and a flat rail around the top edge of the basket portion. The Elfa(copyright) baskets are designed for use in a frame having a plurality of pairs of runners. When the baskets are inserted in the frame, the flat rail is supported by a pair of runners and is movable between retracted and extended positions. The wire grid used for the Elfa(copyright) basket has large holes measuring about 1 inch by 1 inch. The Elfa(copyright) basket also has openings at its corners. If a user desires to store small objects in these baskets, a plastic liner can be used. The liner has a bottom wall and upwardly bendable sidewalls, with slits between the sidewalls to allow for such bending. The open corners of the basket and the slits between the sidewalls of the liner may allow small objects to fall out of the basket, which is undesirable.
Mesh material is typically formed by perforating or slitting a piece of sheet metal and stretching it. A sheet of mesh material requires less raw sheet metal than a non-mesh piece of sheet metal and a perforated piece of sheet metal. U.S. Pat. No. 1,408,026 to Ochiltree discloses a desk tray or basket formed of xe2x80x9cexpanded metalxe2x80x9d or mesh material. Similar to the previous containers, the Ochiltree container is formed by a single blank of flat material that is cut out and folded.
ROC (Taiwan) Patent Application No. 086202709 to Chih-Ming, Ko (in transliteration), filed Feb. 21, 1997, discloses a system of containers supported by a frame. The containers are formed of a single piece of mesh with a rim connected thereto. Additionally, the containers do not move with respect to the frame so that the contents of the lower container are not easily accessible.
A number of mesh containers are made by Design Ideas, Ltd. One of these containers is the xe2x80x9cMesh Storage Nest.xe2x80x9d This container is formed using a first piece of mesh that has the ends welded together to form a loop. A second piece of mesh is welded to the lower edge of the loop so that the first piece of mesh forms sidewalls and the second piece of mesh forms a bottom wall. The seam at the bottom of the container is covered by a bottom rail. A top rail is connected to the upper edge of the container. The sidewalls can be shaped to include a plurality of corners.
A need exists for a lightweight container that can be incorporated into a system for storing objects. It is also desirable that the contents of such a container be made easily accessible and be prevented from accidentally falling through holes in the container. Furthermore, it is desirable that the container be formed by an economical method in unlimited sizes. The present invention was developed with the above-noted general objects in mind.
The present invention is directed to a container or drawer comprising first and second pieces of mesh material. The first piece of mesh forms a bottom wall and two spaced apart first and second sidewalls that extend upwardly from the bottom wall. The second piece of mesh material is formed separate from the first piece of mesh material. The second piece of mesh material includes third and fourth sidewalls. The second piece of mesh material is joined to the first piece of mesh material to form a basket portion. The basket portion may further include a runner portion that may be a rail separately formed from the basket portion.
In one embodiment, the basket portion includes open corners between the sidewalls. In another embodiment, the third and fourth sidewalls include extensions for overlapping the first and second sidewalls so that closed corners are formed between the sidewalls. In such an embodiment, the corners may be curved.
Preferably, one drawer and more preferably, a plurality of drawers are useful with a frame in a storage system. Each drawer is moveable with respect to the frame between retracted and extended positions. In such an embodiment, the frame may further include a pair of runners with a gap therein for slidably receiving the runner portion of each drawer.
The present invention is also directed to a container comprising first, second, and third pieces of mesh material. The first piece of mesh forms a bottom wall and first and second spaced apart sidewalls that extend upwardly from the bottom wall. The second piece of mesh material is formed separate from the first piece of mesh material. The third piece of mesh material is formed separate from the first and second pieces of mesh material. The second and third pieces of mesh material are joined to the bottom wall by a pair of bottom seams. Additionally, the second and third pieces of mesh material are joined to the end walls by a plurality of generally vertically extending side seams that all combine to form a basket portion.
The basket portion may further include runner portion. In such an embodiment, the runner portion may be a rail that may be separately formed from the basket portion.
In one embodiment, the rail is preferably a flat piece of material and can include a curved portion. In the latter rail embodiment, the curved portion defines an opening in an uncompressed state for receiving the upper section of the basket portion, and in a compressed state the opening is minimized.
The present invention is also directed to a method for forming a container comprising the steps of: forming a first piece of mesh material; bending the first piece of mesh material into a bottom wall and first and second spaced apart sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom wall; forming at least one second piece of mesh material separate from the first piece of mesh material including forming the second piece of material to include third and fourth sidewalls; and connecting the first piece of mesh material to the second piece of mesh material to form a basket portion with an upwardly-extending opening.
The method can include the step of forming second and third separate pieces of mesh that will form the third and fourth sidewalls.
According to one aspect of the inventive method, the connecting steps may be performed by welding.
The method may further include the step of forming a runner portion on the top of the basket portion.